When you travel to a country, the most common thing is that you want, in addition to sightseeing to see the most important and beautiful things in the city, taste its gastronomy. But in addition to the dishes that are typical or that tourists tend to like the most, desserts are also a very sweet tourist attraction for people who come to this country. It is an ideal way to discover new flavors and to learn a little more about cultures different from ours.
Sago Gula Melaka
The Malay pastry has many Indian, Chinese and even Portuguese influences combined with a certain Khmer style… and this dessert is an example of this. The sago gula melaka is basically a sago pudding accompanied by a coconut milk reduction (sometimes infused with pandan leaves) and palm sugar syrup.
Originally the dessert was made with sago pearls, a type of Asian palm tree, but nowadays it is often replaced by tapioca. It is eaten fresh and is simply delicious. The combination of chilled sago pearls with the creaminess of coconut milk and the caramelized aftertaste of palm sugar is simply perfect. Although we cannot forget that there are colors for tastes, and maybe a little cloying for the western palate. You can find it in any food court and also in many restaurants.
You can prepare it at home
It is easy to prepare in case you dare, tapioca is relatively easy to find in our supermarkets, although it is usually finer and not in the form of balls. Cream of coconut is also easy to find (it is a denser version of coconut milk, Goya is a common brand in our hypermarkets). And you can find palm sugar in any oriental commissary (in solid form) or you can substitute it for panela (which you will find in the Latin foods section of any hypermarket) or even for muscovado sugar (unrefined brown sugar).
How is the preparation?
You will first have to soak the tapioca, then boil it in water until it becomes transparent. It is then drained and washed with cold water. To serve it, it is done cold with a good jet of coconut cream and a tablespoon of palm sugar, or panela or muscovado sugar melted over the fire with a couple of tablespoons of water.
Once you have it ready… you will love the taste and it will be as if you were transported to Malaysia in a second!
Famous Malaysian desserts
Perhaps the Sago Gula Melaka dessert has made your mouth water a little, but you have been wanting to know more desserts to be able to have a reference when you want to travel to Malaysia. Or maybe you just want to know more desserts to be able to search the recipes online and prepare them yourself at home and enjoy different desserts that have nothing to do with the ones we have in our country.
So, don't lose any detail and keep reading, because you might be interested in writing down the names so you don't forget them.
ABC
This dessert is also known as Aire Batu Campur and is the best known dessert in Malaysia. It's made with crushed ice and a variety of toppings like kidney beans, cendol, a fruit mix, sweet corn, herb jelly, and scoops of ice cream. But it also has condensed milk and strawberry syrup to make it even more delicious.
cendol
Cendol can be considered a simplified version of the ABC but should not be confused with it. What sets it apart from the previous dessert is that they use coconut milk in their recipe. In addition they also include ingredients such as jelly in the form of noodles, crushed ice and palm sugar.
Bubur Kacang Merah / Hijau
This dessert is usually best eaten hot with the exception of the hottest days when this tasty dessert is enjoyed cold to alleviate the heat of the day. According to the Chinese, red beans contain 'yang' or hot properties while green beans contain 'yin' or cold properties. The recipe consists of red or green beans, sugar cubes, pandan leaves, and orange peel.
Tau fu fah
The origin of this dessert dates back to the Western Han dynasty of ancient China. Tau Fu Fah or tau Huay as it is commonly known in Penang, is made with a velvety texture of soft tofu jelly served with sugar syrup. This dessert is a light snack that is traditionally served hot.But nowadays, most Malaysians enjoy this cold dessert with the addition of ingredients like peanuts, herb jelly, red bean paste and others.
kuih nyonya
The peranakan or Chinese of the strait are famous for their delicious very small cakes called kuih nyonya. Most of these little cakes generally have one main ingredient in common: coconut.. They come in a variety of delicious options like Lapis Selatan, Pulut Inti, Ketayap, Lipat Pisang, Onde Onde, Koswee Pandan and much more.. Usually kuih nyonya is eaten for breakfast and tea time.
Durian dodol
Traditionally, a Goan candy, Dodol is made from coconut milk, palm sugar, pandan leaves, and glutinous flour. Durian meat is added in the last step of the cooking process to give it that taste of durian, a food that Malaysians normally love. Dodol is generally made for special occasions like celebrating a wedding.
Gulab jamun
This post is normally eaten at traditional Indian weddings Gulab Jamun is a deep fried flavored sweet dumpling made from Khoya (solid dairy) and is soaked in pink sweet syrup with pleasant smell and cardamom flavor. Its sweet taste can be quite overwhelming, but for lovers of this type of cuisine, It will be just wonderful!
Which of these desserts do you most want to try?